Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-04-01
JANETs RUSE.
BY VERNON.

DV you IN " "AS
pretty in q temper?"
"And you are excessively impertinent!"
Miss Lynde drew her slim figure to its
full.height and flashed indignant eyes upon
the gentleman opposite.
"And SO" said Roger Window, hfs man
ner assuming sudden warmth, "you con-
slider me impairment because, to my e.yes.
you are the l~oyeliest woman in the world,
and therefore l have asked you to marry
me, whether my uncle likes it or not?"
The young nan was thoroughly in earn
est now, and poured out his words without
reference to rhetoric OF effect.
object" interrupted Miss Lynde, i'm
periously. "Listen to me. You
come here. where I am employed
as governess; ostensibly to visit the lady of
the house-in reality to see me, You way
lay me on the street when I 60 out to walk;
you annoy me, and astonish Mrs. Burdett
by asking for a private interview; and then
you tell me, with your usual assurance,
that you would like to marry me, although
your uncle, upon whom YOU are entirely
dependent. has emphatically refused his
consent. You leave my possible feelings
altogether out of your consideration, Mr..
Window. You should remember that i am
not q scheming adventures trying to
thrust myself upon an unwilling family"
Miss Lynde stopped, breathless, although
in her excitement her gray eyes still flashed
dangerously.
"At least. you have been very plain
spoken" said Roger Window, bitterly,
standing as he had listened with his black
brows contracted and arms folded upon
his breast. "And now, perhaps, Miss
I have very little to offer in defence, except
that I have been foolish enough to love
you madly from the moment that I first
saw you smile and heard you speak. /
have no excuse ready for my r~eprehensible
conduct in waylaying you on the street
none for asking You to accept the devotion
Of my life. Pardon me that in dwelling on
my W selfish hopes I have failed to con-
slider the delioacy of your position. But l
not trouble you further. Miss Lynde; I will
will bid you good day."
with Q OBTAINING gesture. "Mr. Window,
you have shamed me into an apology for
my ungracious words, with a smile void
of all coquetry in its perfect frankness.
"Youd do notknow what mylife has been,"
she added, gently. Given as child j knew
what unhappiness meant, for my poor
mother married, even as you have wished
me to do, against the wishes of her hus-
bands family. In a year he was tired of
her-accused her of having spoiled his
career; finally, he deserted her. Before
ner sad story. I promised her then
that I would never marry as she had done;
and, so help nue. Heaven! I never will"
The beautiful eyes we're full of unshed
tears as they were raised to Roger Win
dom's face. and the girls voice trembled
slightly rs she went On: II thank you in
deed for the honor you have done me; I
will even acknowledge that under different
circumstances I might have learned to love
you. But, as it is, it is better We should
never meet. Do not come here any more
do not see me again, and you will soon
forget that such an insignificant person ex-
lists as Janet Lynde."
AS she ceased speaking, Miss Lvnde's
pale face was lit up with an April smile,
and the hand she had extended in token of
farewell was firmly clasped between two
larger palms.
II shall never forget you," said the
young man, ~passionately, his brown eyes
looking with q triumphant gladness into
hers. '"And l shall love you until the hour
Of my death. This I shall tell my uncle,
and if still he persists in refusing his con-
sent, without knowing you, or even SO much
as hearing your name, then henceforth he
and I are strangers. For, Janet, what you
are not allowed to share, neither will I
time goodbye"
Before Miss Lynde had quite recovered
herself, Roger Window had kissed the
little white hand SO closely imprisoned in
his own, and was gone.
For a long time she stood as he had left
her, with hands hanging helpless at her
side md head downcast.
She was not a beautiful woman. scarcely
a noticeable one amongst a number, and
yet there was something noble in the Doise
of tho proud head, in tho resolute curves of
lips and chin.
gence grew upo you as you gazed-a face
that inspired involuntary confidence and q
belief in truth and goodness.
"Pray, Mrs. Burdett, who is the young
lady across the way from us?"
Mr.. Samuel Window was addressing
himself to his hostess, a well-preserved
matron intent upon being agreeable to her
rich guest.
T SThat is Miss Lynde, my governess, real
ly a superior young person, and the chill
dren are quite devoted TO her." explained
the lady, with much ~graciousness.
Janet, in a blue lawn dress and broad
brimned g~arden-hat, was seated upon a
rustic bench, ostensibly reading, but in
reality gazing out over the fair green
meadow that stretched out before her,
while she Vondered absenuy upon the in
ways that had brought Roger
WINDOWS uncle under the same roof with
her.
The winter had gone. and summer come
again, since she and Roger had parted,
In a dospairing letter of farewell she had
that he had parted from his uncle |
in anger-had gene out into the wide
world TO work out his own future, but not
The hope, he added. that some day
should come book TO seek and claim
her.
Junet's reverie was interrupted by voices
close upon her, and, rising hastily in her
confusion, Hiss Lynde was introduced to
Dir. Window.
The sunlight and faint bushes met upon
her cheek and made her positively benuti-
for the time, as she stood talking to
.Le stately and ~ceremonious old man who